Picture Perfect

28.

I don't respond. I just think on what else I could possibly say to get this to go my way.

"Oh, so it can get worse than me? You remember that don't you? When you told me I was the worst person you could've ended up with? Hmm. Wish you kept that in huh?" He smirks as if proud of my struggle. "I saw what the fuck he did to you on the news. Yeah, I've been keeping up with your cute little life. Or what you portray as a cute little life." Now he's talking shit. Just reveling in it.

"No matter how much I can't stand the nigga I'm bound to currently, there will never be worse than you. I see you've got two little girls now. Oh what karma you're in for. That little one, she's definitely got them striking eyes of yours. I'd home school her if I were you." He grabs my face.

"The fuck you say?"

I shove him off of me with strength I've never had before. I'm taller now, stronger, he's still the same slim built bitch he always was. He doesn't scare me.

"You heard me loud and clear, now hear this, I'm leaving my husband regardless of what the fuck could happen. If and when those pictures get out, it's going to bring a lot of attention my way, and I'll be a target in this investigation, and I won't hesitate to throw your ass under the bus. I was a kid, I was rescued from you by child protective services, whatever I did, was and will be on you. You'll lose everything, so get yourself used to having nothing Travis. Have a nice one." I snicker and shrug him out of the way as I walk off and back to the rental car slightly uncomfortable with the interaction that just took place.

"Samantha, are you going to eat?" Kyler questions with a stern expression.

I focus on his face.

"Yeah. I just, want to go out tonight." I propose.

He takes a sip of his water and almost chokes.

"We should what?"

"Let's go out."

"One, we just got back from a long-ass road trip. Two, there's a game going on right now that I should be playing in. And three, you're married to my teammate." He starts listing off his reasons.

"Don't do that. Don't throw my marriage that you very well know I want no parts of, back in my face like that when you're the one trying to put a kid in me. How much longer do you think we'll be able to keep this shit concealed anyway?" I check him.

He crooks his expression and then shakes his head.

"What are you trying to do huh? You know how Garrison's going to move, not only if you try to leave like this, but if you use me to do it. This shit is going to be a mess... but that's what you want huh? You want us to get caught, you want to put him in a corner. You think it will stop him from releasing the photos so he doesn't look bitter, or vengeful?" He's trying to put two and two together but really, I just want to go out.

I shake my head no.

"I actually didn't think about it like that, but it's not a bad idea. I just want you to take me out for ice cream. I want to go on a real fucking date with my boyfriend. My future husband, the man I love, and I'm trying to start a family with. I just want to stop hiding here in this cramped up space with the dog. I want to be able to take Aries out to the park for a walk with you. I just want you." I shrug biting the inside of my cheek. "But whatever, fuck it." I get up grabbing the food from my lap to go and put it in the microwave to eat a little later.

I need to find a way to not go back to him. I don't want to step foot back in that house. That beautifully built wasteland. That expensive-ass, indoor dessert. It's fucking cold in that house at night. It's lonely, it's loveless. I'm not going back.

"I'm not going back to him. I don't care if I have to go stay in a hotel if you don't want me here. I'll figure my shit out, but regardless, I'm not going back to that house." I warn Kyler without watching him.

I hear him motorboat and sigh.

I turn to find him walking into the kitchen toward me.

"No, you're not going to a hotel. Don't be dramatic. You're here. If you don't go back to him, you're here. I just... let's be smarter. You're going to get everything you want, believe me. Let me just, let me tell Coach I'm back in town first. We don't play again for a few days, I can get back in the gym and shit will look normal, I'll take you out after. In case it becomes this big thing, it doesn't look like I've been out having an extended romantic rendezvous with my teammate's wife the whole time. At least not to the team, and to the media. But Garrison is definitely going to know." He reminds me.

I nod.

"Mhmm. But like you said... his image is everything to him, how would it look if all of a sudden these pictures from my past that no one else was aware of enough to expose sooner, came out? Suspicions will be on him, he'll look like he has it out for me because of the affair, that doesn't help him keep a picture perfect Christian image now does it? Ideally he'll just bow out gracefully and "leave it to the lord". Right?" I smile thinking deeply on the situation this. It's the perfect set up.